Red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) as a model for studying the molecular mechanism of seasonal reproduction

ABSTRACT Photoperiodism is an adaptation mechanism that enables animals to predict seasonal changes in the environment. Japanese quail is the best model organism for studying photoperiodism. Although the recent availability of chicken genome sequences has permitted the expansion from single gene to...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animal science journal 2009-06, Vol.80 (3), p.328-332
Main Authors: Ono, H.(Nagoya Univ. (Japan)), Nakao, N, Yamamura, T, Kinoshita, K, Mizutani, M, Namikawa, T, Iigo, M, Ebihara, S, Yoshimura. T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal reproduction
ANIMAL SALVAJE
ANIMAL SAUVAGE
Animal sciences
Animals
BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR
BIOLOGIE MOLECULAIRE
CHICKENS
Chickens - genetics
ESTACIONES DEL ANO
Female
FOTOPERIODISMO
luteinizing hormone (LH)
Luteinizing Hormone - blood
Male
Models, Biological
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
PERIODICIDAD
PERIODICITE
PERIODICITY
Photoperiod
PHOTOPERIODICITE
PHOTOPERIODICITY
photoperiodism
Physiology
POLLO
POULET
red jungle fowl
Reproduction - genetics
SAISON
SEASONS
THYROTROPIN
thyrotropin (TSH)
THYROTROPINE
TIROTROPINA
type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (DIO2)
WILD ANIMALS
Wildfowl
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:ABSTRACT Photoperiodism is an adaptation mechanism that enables animals to predict seasonal changes in the environment. Japanese quail is the best model organism for studying photoperiodism. Although the recent availability of chicken genome sequences has permitted the expansion from single gene to genome‐wide transcriptional analysis in this organism, the photoperiodic response of the domestic chicken is less robust than that of the quail. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the photoperiodic response of the red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus), a predecessor of the domestic chicken, to test whether this animal could be developed as an ideal model for studying the molecular mechanisms of seasonal reproduction. When red jungle fowls were transferred from short‐day‐ to long‐day conditions, gonadal development and an increase in plasma LH concentration were observed. Furthermore, rapid induction of thyrotropin beta subunit, a master regulator of photoperiodism, was observed at 16 h after dawn on the first long day. In addition, the long‐day condition induced the expression of type 2 deiodinase, the key output gene of photoperiodism. These results were consistent with the results obtained in quail and suggest that the red jungle fowl could be an ideal model animal for the genome‐wide transcriptional analysis of photoperiodism.
ISSN:1344-3941
1740-0929
DOI:10.1111/j.1740-0929.2009.00628.x